Demand grew between 25 and 35 percent since June, said Michele Jordan, executive director of the Interreligious Food Consortium of CNY. The group supplies money and food to more than 70 food pantries and meal sites in Onondaga County.

“I think it’s been harder for everyone. It’s a trickle down,” she said. “People who are struggling on a day-to-day basis seem to be struggling more. Our shelves are low this year, and because of the increase it’s been harder and harder to keep them stacked.”

This year also challenged the grassroots organization because it has been more difficult to get donations and government aid. Stagnant wages also create difficulties for many as food costs rise but wages don’t.

The food consortium refers people to pantries in their neighborhood. The group receives an average of more than 200 calls each month from people looking for help.

At the food pantry level, operators report the number of people seeking help has grown dramatically. Plymouth Church Food Pantry on East Onondaga Street in Syracuse saw a 63 percent increase in households served this year compared to last year.

“So far we’ve been able to make it,” said Leslie Lawrence, Plymouth’s food pantry director. “But as for the future, who knows.”

Not all organizations have gotten by.

Frank Ordonez/The Post-Standard Art Zion and Carol Disteano push carts of bread and other food goods into the Assumption Church Food Pantry on SyracuseâÂÂs North Side on Oct. 2.

Assumption Church on North Salina Street in Syracuse serves more than 550 meals a day. Patrons receive a healthy balance of a sandwich, sweets, servings of fruits or vegetables, and a loaf of bread to take home.

In September, the pantry closed for four days due to a shortage of money and food, said Brother Nicholas Spano, director of the food pantry and soup kitchen.

“Both our programs are running at full capacity,” he said. “We’re seeing incredible amounts of people. It’s where we can’t keep up with the demand, we just can’t. There are always people in need and needing more.”

In 2010, about 200 families were active recipients of the church’s food pantry services. Now, there are more than 770 families registered.

One of the greatest challenges is witnessing firsthand the raw emotion of individuals and families without food, Spano said.

“We’re dealing with people who have bachelor’s and master’s degrees, who never thought they’d be in this situation,” he said.

Assumption Church receives food and monetary donations through the Food Bank of Central New York, which supplies about 70 percent of the food distributed by pantries and emergency food assistance programs in 11 counties throughout Central and Northern New York.

The food bank has provided pantries with a higher volume of food than ever before, said Brian McManus, the food bank’s community relations coordinator. The group distributed 12,273,003 pounds of food in 2011-12 compared to 11,550,177 pounds of food in 2010-11. That’s a 6.26 percent increase.

Eileen Deckert, director of St. Brigid and St. Joseph’s food pantry on Herkimer Street in Syracuse, worries about the upcoming holidays and what will happen next year.

The church receives grants from the food bank as well as other donations, but the demand has been overwhelming, Deckert said. Many people helped by the food pantry work full-time, she said.

“They need help putting food on the table,” Deckert said. “These aren’t just lazy people who don’t want to work.”

The pantry may consider limiting the extra food given out during Thanksgiving because they don’t have enough to go around.

Deckert said this is the first time she’s looking down the road and isn’t sure what they can do to keep food on the shelves.

“This is not a phenomena just in our neighborhood,” she said. “It’s really scary when you think about it.”